Narrative:

The sic picked up our clearance as follows: cleared to bwi airport via PWK2; radar vectors; adime; otens; reggy. This was written on our told card and sic gave readback to clearance delivery. After departing and reaching altitude of FL350; we were given direct adime; fpr. After departing otens; ZAU asked for our heading and wanted to verify we were navigating according our ATC clearance. The sic answered with; 'affirmative; we were given reggy after otens and we are proceeding accordingly; but we do have 105 KTS of crosswind from the left so our heading is required to be more northeast due to high winds.' chicago responded; 'you will never reach reggy on that heading regardless of wind; check your spelling for reggy.' we both looked to verify that the GPS's flight plan was set according to our clearance on our told card and we realized that the sic had entered regge instead of reggy and the correction was made. Problem is; the GPS route looked normal to us due to regge being located only 30 mi north of reggy. Center asked again if we were proceeding to reggy; the sic answered with an 'affirmative.' center did not mention any traffic conflicts or concerns. Contribution factors: having intxns pronounced the same but spelled differently only 30-some mi apart contributed to our situation. I checked into other intxns pronounced the same but spelled differently and found that there was also a redge 100 mi to the west of reggy. I believe that the close proximity of reggy and regge contributed to our mistake; and may contribute to future aircraft also making the same mistake.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW EXPERIENCES A NAV DEVIATION WHEN THEY WERE CLEARED TO REGGY BUT ENTERED REGGE IN THE FMS.

Narrative: THE SIC PICKED UP OUR CLRNC AS FOLLOWS: CLRED TO BWI ARPT VIA PWK2; RADAR VECTORS; ADIME; OTENS; REGGY. THIS WAS WRITTEN ON OUR TOLD CARD AND SIC GAVE READBACK TO CLRNC DELIVERY. AFTER DEPARTING AND REACHING ALT OF FL350; WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT ADIME; FPR. AFTER DEPARTING OTENS; ZAU ASKED FOR OUR HDG AND WANTED TO VERIFY WE WERE NAVING ACCORDING OUR ATC CLRNC. THE SIC ANSWERED WITH; 'AFFIRMATIVE; WE WERE GIVEN REGGY AFTER OTENS AND WE ARE PROCEEDING ACCORDINGLY; BUT WE DO HAVE 105 KTS OF XWIND FROM THE L SO OUR HDG IS REQUIRED TO BE MORE NE DUE TO HIGH WINDS.' CHICAGO RESPONDED; 'YOU WILL NEVER REACH REGGY ON THAT HDG REGARDLESS OF WIND; CHK YOUR SPELLING FOR REGGY.' WE BOTH LOOKED TO VERIFY THAT THE GPS'S FLT PLAN WAS SET ACCORDING TO OUR CLRNC ON OUR TOLD CARD AND WE REALIZED THAT THE SIC HAD ENTERED REGGE INSTEAD OF REGGY AND THE CORRECTION WAS MADE. PROB IS; THE GPS RTE LOOKED NORMAL TO US DUE TO REGGE BEING LOCATED ONLY 30 MI N OF REGGY. CTR ASKED AGAIN IF WE WERE PROCEEDING TO REGGY; THE SIC ANSWERED WITH AN 'AFFIRMATIVE.' CTR DID NOT MENTION ANY TFC CONFLICTS OR CONCERNS. CONTRIBUTION FACTORS: HAVING INTXNS PRONOUNCED THE SAME BUT SPELLED DIFFERENTLY ONLY 30-SOME MI APART CONTRIBUTED TO OUR SITUATION. I CHKED INTO OTHER INTXNS PRONOUNCED THE SAME BUT SPELLED DIFFERENTLY AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS ALSO A REDGE 100 MI TO THE W OF REGGY. I BELIEVE THAT THE CLOSE PROX OF REGGY AND REGGE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR MISTAKE; AND MAY CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE ACFT ALSO MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.